The present invention relates to a facsimile receiving method and a facsimile apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to a receiving method suitable for a household facsimile apparatus for switching a telephone line to talking or facsimile and an apparatus for that purpose.
According to a conventional household facsimile apparatus, a telephone line is switched to a telephone set or a facsimile apparatus for common use and answering of facsimile is switched to manual or automatic by a switch. The switch is set to the manual position for ordinary talking. When facsimile is received with the switch set at the manual position, a conversation including, for example, "transmission of facsimile" is carried out first and then facsimile is received. When a person is at a called station, the above manual position is suitable. On the other hand, when no person is at a called station, the switch is switched to the automatic position so as to automatically receive facsimile.
FIG. 5 is a sequence drawing of the above automatic answering of facsimile.
Firstly, based on dialing of a calling station, a telephone central office transmits a call signal 31 to a facsimile apparatus of a called station, and when a handset of the called station is picked up (offhook) within a period during which the call signal is repeated, for example, about 6 times, ordinary talking is carried out. When the handset of the called station is not offhooked during this period, no fee for a telephone call is charged.
When the handset of the called station is not offhooked during the above period, the called station sends back a message (MSG) 32 of, for example, "Wait a little moment." which is stored beforehand to the calling station, waits for arrival of a CNG (calling tone) signal which is a sign of transmission of facsimile during the next period of call signal 33, transmits a CED (calling station identification) signal meaning that facsimile can be received to the calling station when the CNG signal is detected, and starts receiving of facsimile immediately. After the above MSG 32 is sent, a fee for a telephone call is charged because the line is connected so as to wait for the CNG signal.
When the above CNG signal is not sent, the called station sends back a message (MSG) 34 of, for example, "I am out now. Please phone later once again or transmit a facsimile message now." to the calling station after the end of a predetermined period of call signal 33 and then transmits a CED signal 35. The calling station receives the above CED signal and starts transmission of facsimile.
Furthermore, during the period of call signal 33, the call signal is transmitted so as to continue ringing until the CED signal is sent, so that the handset of the called station can be offhooked during this period so as to carry out talking.
Furthermore, the number of ring tones (RT) or ringback tones (RBT) generated during the period of call signal 31 can be changed by the switch.
A telephone line may be automatically switched to an automatic answering telephone set or a facsimile apparatus. In this case, there are two methods available; one is that the facsimile apparatus automatically receives a call in the same way as with the above mentioned and the automatic answering telephone set is called when no facsimile is sent and the other is that the automatic answering telephone set receives a call first and the telephone line is switched to the facsimile apparatus when facsimile is transmitted so as to receive facsimile.
When the automatic answering telephone set does not answer because it is full of incoming messages which have been recorded, the former method sends a facsimile CED signal after stop of the call signal, and the latter method allows the facsimile apparatus to automatically receive a call and to send a facsimile CED signal.
According to the aforementioned conventional facsimile apparatus, the line is connected so as no 10 continue ringing during the period of call station 33. Therefore, although talking cannot be carried out when no person is at the called station, the calling station is billed.
Furthermore, the number of ringings during the calling period 31 is set by a combination of a plurality of switches, so that the operation is complicated.
Furthermore, in the case of combination of the aforementioned facsimile apparatus and automatic answering telephone set, when the automatic answering telephone set is full of incoming messages recorded, the called station sends a CED signal to the calling station immediately and starts receiving of facsimile, so that the calling station suddenly hears a strange sound of the above CED signal and the person at the calling station who does not know the situation is surprised.